How to Reduce Chronic Pain

Medically reviewed by Erik Kramer, DO, MPH

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 Fact Checked

If you have chronic pain, there are a variety of ways you can minimize it. In most cases, those with chronic pain should get specialized medical care in order to manage their pain. However, there are also ways to reduce chronic pain with common household treatments and by improving your physical and mental health. These tactics may help you control your pain and improve the quality of your life, especially if they are used in combination with each other.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Getting Medical Care

1
See your doctor if you experience pain on a regular basis. Chronic pain is considered pain that lasts for 3 months or longer. If you have this kind of pain, you should consult with your doctor about it. Tell them how long you have been pain, where the pain originates, and what techniques you have been using to try and manage it.^{[1]
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- Even if you don’t think that your pain can be treated or if other doctors have not been successful at treating it, continue to search for a solution.
- Get a second opinion from another doctor or a specialist to help determine where the pain comes from.
Tip: Stop working with medical practitioners who are not helping you. Do not stay with the same practitioner if you feel they are discouraged and uninterested in helping you. Some practitioners do not work well with chronic pain patients and sometimes physicians do not take chronic pain seriously if they suspect the pain is psychosomatic. If you suspect that is the case with yours, move on.
2
Consult with a specialized health care provider that treats pain. It can be very helpful to consult with a physician who specializes in pain management. If such a specialist is not available in your community, consult with a physical therapist, a health psychologist, or a nurse who specializes in pain treatment.^{[2]
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- Physicians may be reluctant to help if they suspect you are faking an illness in order to obtain narcotics. Be very clear about how you describe your pain and when it occurs. Do not just demand pain medication without much explanation because this will make a doctor think you are drug-seeking.
- Talk to your general practitioner or other specialists you work with for a referral to a pain specialist in your area.
- If you have joint or spinal pain, you may be able to get a steroid injection to help alleviate it.
3
Take medication to control your pain. There are a wide variety of pain medications that your doctors might prescribe for your chronic pain, depending on how bad your pain is and what is causing it. They can vary from simply a higher dose of an over-the-counter medication, such as ibuprofen, to strong painkillers, such as narcotics.^{[3]
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- Although it's understandable to want to get rid of your pain, is important to be cautious when using narcotics to treat chronic pain. Many pain medications can be very addictive, so they need to be used under the close supervision of a medical professional. They are habit-forming and become less effective over time if not used responsibly.
- Go to regular follow-ups for your pain every 1-3 months if you’re prescribed an opiate-based medication. That way, your doctor can check if you can stop using the drugs to reduce your chances of addiction.
4
Stick with your treatment plan. Once you consult with your doctor about how to treat your pain, you need to commit to following through with the treatment plan. Working through the plan, which is usually a combination of medication, exercises, and lifestyle changes, may not relieve all of your pain right away but try to stick with it. It will be most successful long term.^{[4]
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- It is important to take medication on time and as directed. Taking it on time will build up the medication in your system and reduce the chance of it wearing off before you take another dose.
- If parts of your treatment plan are causing you more pain than expected, stop doing them and let your doctor know right away. Your doctor may advise you that some level of pain is normal during exercise as part of a plan to help desensitize you.
5
Get supportive psychotherapy with a mental health professional. Chronic pain can be so challenging to cope with that it creates a variety of problems in your life, including problems with your mental health. Therapy is often helpful to help you deal with the actual pain and the ways that it impacts your life and causes limitations.^{[5]
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- Many chronic pain sufferers use antidepressants. Talk to your doctor about if that’s right for you.^{[6]
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6
Go to an acupuncturist, a naturopathic doctor, a massage therapist, or a doctor of Chinese medicine. In most cases, incorporating a variety of techniques into your treatment plan will give you a better chance of reducing your pain. In many cases, an acupuncturist, a naturopathic doctor, or a doctor of Chinese medicine will be able to help with your pain in a new way.^{[7]
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- Talk to your primary care provider about your desire to also get non-traditional treatments. They may be able to refer you to someone or they will have suggestions for what type of treatments might be beneficial or harmful for your condition.
Tip: Getting acupuncture, acupressure, and massage can be great for temporarily relieving pain but you shouldn't rely on them as your only treatment. Instead, they should supplement the care you get from your general practitioner.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Home Remedies

1
Take an over-the-counter pain medication. Some mild chronic pain can be controlled with common over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Follow the directions on the packaging for dosing and how often it can be taken to control your pain.
- It is important to not take too much pain medication, even if it is an over-the-counter medication. Taking too much can injure your organs and can even cause death in some rare cases, so follow the directions on the packaging and don’t take multiple products without taking your overall dose into consideration.^{[8]
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- If you are on other medications, consult with your doctor before beginning a regime of taking pain medications.
- Over-the-counter pain medications could hide symptoms and make it difficult to determine the cause of your pain. Always consult with a doctor to make sure you don’t have a serious condition that’s causing the pain that you’re covering up.
2
Use heat to reduce pain in your muscles. Get a heating pad or a hot water bottle and apply moderate heat to the area in pain. Apply the heat for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how much pain you are in and if the heat is helping.^{[9]
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- A hot bath can also provide pain relief for large areas on the body.
- Putting heat on an area of pain will increase blood flow and circulation in that area.
Tip: Don’t use heat on areas that are bruised or swollen. Applying cold to these areas will be more helpful.
3
Soak in a bath that contains Epsom salt. If you are having a hard time getting relief from your pain, draw a warm bath and stir 2 cups of Epsom salt into the water. Soak in the Epsom salt bath for at least 15 minutes to reduce pain in your bones, joints, and muscles.^{[10]
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- Epsom salt, which is magnesium sulfate, helps pain because it is absorbed through the skin and then reduces inflammation once it is in the body.
- There is very little scientific evidence to prove that Epsom salt baths help with pain. There needs to be more research done to prove whether it is actually effective or if the relief comes from the relaxation and warmth of the bath.^{[11]
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4
Apply ice to a focused area of the body that is in pain. Make an ice pack or get a reusable ice pack out of your freezer if you need some relief from your pain. Wrap the pack in a towel to protect your skin and then apply it to the area in pain. Leave it in place for 10 to 15 minutes. Then let the area warm up for 15 minutes and apply the cold pack for 15 minutes again. Repeat this process for as long as you like.^{[12]
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- Ice works on inflammation near the surface, not other kinds of muscle pain or inflammation deep inside the body.^{[13]
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- Do not use ice on stiff muscle or joints. Heat will be much better for relieving that type of pain and discomfort.
- Ice can reduce pain for hours, even if it is only applied for 15 minutes at a time.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Caring For Your Physical Health

1
Exercise on a regular basis. While your pain may make it hard for you to exercise, it actually can be beneficial for many conditions that cause chronic pain. Spend time each day doing mild exercise, such as stretching, walking, or doing gentle yoga. Whatever you can do comfortably, which doesn't have to be a lot, exercise will help the severity of your pain.^{[14]
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- Consult with your doctor if you are concerned about your ability to exercise.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is an important part of helping your body heal and rejuvenate, which can reduce your pain. Most adults over 25 years old should aim for getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. If you are younger than that, you should aim for 8-10 hours of sleep.^{[15]
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Tip: If you have a hard time sleeping, try going to bed at the same time every night. Also, create a relaxing environment that is calm and conducive to sleep.^{[16]
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3
Eat healthy meals. Eating foods that contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that will help reduce your pain and inflammation. Try to eat balanced meals throughout the day and drink plenty of water as well.^{[17]
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- Do not over-indulge in tobacco, too much alcohol, or binge eating. These can cause more inflammation in your body, which can increase your pain.
4
Take supplements that reduce pain. There are a variety of pain-relieving supplements that you can take to reduce your pain. Talk to your doctor before taking one of these supplements:^{[18]
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- Turmeric
- Willow bark
- Cloves
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Glucosamine
- Magnesium
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Taking Care of Your Mental Health

1
Spend time focusing on relaxation. Tension and stress can increase your physical pain. To minimize this, practice relaxation, as it is a learned skill for most people. You can do activities that you find relaxing, such as gardening or taking a bath, or activities that are designed specifically to relax the body, such as meditation and breathing techniques.^{[19]
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- Meditation can be a particularly useful technique for relaxing the mind and body.^{[20]
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  Harvard Medical School
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- One way to do focused relaxation is with breathing techniques. Long, slow, and focused breathing helps relaxation and takes attention away from pain.
2
Consider getting training in self-hypnosis. Use guided imagery, hypnosis, or biofeedback techniques to help reduce your pain. Learn about these methods from an expert so that you can use them at home whenever you are having a hard time and you need to reduce your pain.^{[21]
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- For example, you can go to a biofeedback therapist, get training in the techniques, and then buy your own equipment.
3
Get social support. Do not suffer alone. Pain is hard to cope with and can make it hard to find joy and fun in activities but it's important to try. Go to social events that you enjoy if you can, such as concerts, church, and political meetings. Also, stay in contact with your family and friends, even if it means just sending a positive email every day.
- Surround yourself and maintain contact with positive ideas and people.
Tip: This does not mean that you need to leave your home if that causes you pain. You can simply spend time interacting with your pets, family members, or neighbors.
4
Make time to do activities that you enjoy. These can include your hobbies, going to the movies, or simply surfing the Internet. If you do an enjoyable activity at least once a day, it will make coping with your pain easier.
- Do not allow your life to become a monotonous daily routine. Try new and different things every day. Do things for other people and immerse yourself in something new.
- Doing activities that you enjoy can be very helpful for distracting yourself from your pain.
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Tips

Everyone deals with pain differently, including having their own levels of pain tolerance. Rarely are different people able to use the exact same pain-reducing methods and receive the same results. Some may work really well for you. Some may not work at all. Do not be disheartened if this occurs to you, during your search for relief.

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Warnings

Avoid miracle workers that are trying to sell you a quick fix. Often, these methods are unproven, fads, potentially ill-advised, and expensive.

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